Sensorial Proposal
Overview
This project proposal was for a Textiles: Constructed Design course. The outline was to combine techniques previously learned either on the knitting machine into a piece that encompassed the theme, "Sensorial Object". This page outlines my creative process, research and sampling for this project.
Proposal
Sound to me is the most evocative sense. It can bring about a memory/emotion/state of mind instantly. "Space and sound characterise the world as we represent it to ourselves in our imagination in a way that smells, tastes, and feelings do not," (Fentress and Wickham 31). My mother has bamboo wind chimes hanging from a magnolia tree in our backyard. Hearing its sounds brings me back to childhood summers, when my mind was calm and open. Having moved out for three years, the simple radiating sound holds even more power over me.
For this assignment I propose a large scale knit wind chime with hanging capsules containing native seed bombs.
What draws me to loop structures like knit and crochet is their ability to unravel. I want to celebrate knit for what it can do–it can be sculptural, it can contain, it can revert. These capsules will hang from a central structure (see fig. 6) and there will be bamboo posts hanging from the capsules to provide sound in the wind (see fig. 5). The knit capsules can be unraveled with the bamboo posts acting as a handle, releasing the seeds onto the ground as a small gift for the land (see fig. 5). They will not be released all at once. Viewers can choose to do so with intention at any time. The capsules may be fully or partially unravelled to the viewers' choosing. Over time the capsules will be replaced with new ones, so the piece will have no definite lifespan. The piece will also have many homes; the grid-like structure allows for the piece to move from region to region.
The sensory element is in the immersive nature of the piece. Viewers can touch and feel the piece and hear it interact with the wind. Rehanging provides interesting, organic texture to the capsules. I also intend to use naturally dyed cellulose or protein yarns. The dyestuff and seeds will be dictated by the materials native to the region in which the piece is being displayed.
Inspiration for this piece comes from the writings of Leanne Betasamosake. In her piece Gdi-Nweninaa: Our Sound, Our Voice, she writes, “Naakgonige encourages one to deliberate and consider the impacts of decisions on all aspects of life and our relationships—the land, the clans, children, and the future,” (Simpson, 57). I am also inspired by Ernesto Neto’s Gaia Mother Tree and Rebecca Belmore’s Wave Sound. Through these works I have learned the capabilities of knit, and the importance of giving back to the land that houses us. With this piece I wish to respect the land’s autonomy, uplift it and give my thanks.
Works Cited
Social Memory, by James Fentress and Chris Wickham, American Council of Learned Societies (POD), New York, NY, 2012, p. 31.
“City of Stitches.” Knit Knit: Profiles & Projects from Knitting's New Wave, by Sabrina Gschwandtner, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, 2007, pp. 22–23.
Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake. “Gdi-Nweninaa: Our Sound, Our Voice.” p. 57.
Thittichai, Kim. Experimental Textiles. Batsford, 2009.
Visual Development:
Fig. 1 Native seeds purchased from Evergreen Brickworks garden market. I previously used these in a project from the Languages and the Land course.
Fig. 2 Seed bomb using seeds in previous fig. Made from recycled paper scraps.
Fig. 3 Initial sketches.
Fig. 4 Sketches of capsule shape development.
Fig. 5 Illustration of capsule and unraveling.
Fig. 6 Mounting ideas for the work. Sketch on the left is a grid-like ceiling that capsules will hang from with posts (no walls). Sketch on the right is capsules hanging from a tree. I decided on the sketch on the left so that the piece could be moved to other locations.
Fig. 7 Yarns. From left to right:
Wool, dyed with blueberries
Wool, dyed with cochineal, osage and logqood
Wool, dyed with logwood
Fig. 8 Example of bamboo windchime
Source: https://sowsmallgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cohasset-large-wind-chimes.jpg
Fig. 9 and 10 Process photos on knit machine.
Samples:
Fig. 11 Sample 1. Made from wool yarn, dyed with cochineal, osage and logwood. Chunky knit machine tension 5 using increasing, decreasing, rehanging and a technique found here.
There is a safety pin holding the last stitch in place for unraveling.
Fig. 12 Sample 2. Made from lighter wool yarn, dyed with blueberries. Standard knit machine tension 9 using increasing, decreasing, rehanging and the same technique as above. This sample was unraveled to demonstrate the process.
Fig. 13 Sample #2 unravelled.
References:
Fig. 14 Gaia Mother Tree, Ernesto Neto. Source: https://bilderfahrzeuge.hypotheses.org/5357
Neto’s work has remained a constant inspiration for me. His hugely sculptural and immersive knit really innovated the meaning of textiles for me. He also includes pockets of spices and scent in his works.
Fig. 15 Wave Sound, Rebecca Belmore. Source: https://www.rebeccabelmore.com/wave-sound/
Belmore’s piece does great work at literally highlighting the land. This piece consists of multiple installations in parks across Canada that are meant to make listeners pause and hear the sounds of nature. As an indigenous artist, her ties to the land are strong. Both her installation and performance works are powerful and often immersive.
Fig. 16 City of Stitches, Isabel Burglund
Burglund’s piece is a whole room of knit–completely immersive. The visitors donate their bodies to the
work and can be connected to the walls via knit, with a knit tree as a centerpiece. This piece really
explores the boundaries of knit and fashion.
Fig. 17 Changing Landscapes, Wendy Dolan
Fig. 18 Sarracenia, Jayne Routley
Fig. 19 Small Strata and Soft Remembered Hils, Kim Thittichai
While not loop structures, these three pieces are great examples of textiles imitating nature. I take inspiration from the muted, natural tones and forms/structures.
Text References:
"Naakgonige encourages one to deliberate and consider the impacts of decisions on
all aspects of life and our relationships—the land, the clans, children,
and the future," (Simpson, 57).
"Space and sound characterise the world as we represent it to ourselves in our imagination in a way that smells, tastes, and feelings do not," (Fentress and Wickham 31).